Tottenham Hotspur have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher
Tottenham Hotspur have made a couple of exciting additions to new boss Thomas Frank’s squad thus far this summer. The signings of Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus, as well as the permanent acquisition of Mathys Tel after he impressed on loan from Bayern Munich during the second half of last season, shows the club’s vision and transfer strategy to build on the Europa League success.
Spurs would have also loved to add creative midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White as part of their revolution under Thomas Frank, but Nottingham Forest had other ideas. Eventually, Forest threatening legal action led to deal for Gibbs-White collapse, despite the Lilywhites triggering his release clause at City Ground last month.
After the deal did not go through, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed Daniel Levy and Co. have become busy scouring the market for Gibbs-White’s alternative targets. This clearly suggests that it is a position that Thomas Frank wants to address before the new campaign commences.
Tottenham plot fresh swoop for Atletico Madrid midfielder
Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer. The Lilywhites hold a long-term interest in the Englishman as they attempted to buy him last year from Chelsea, but Atletico Madrid eventually managed to win the race for his services.
The Epsom-born talent was in and out of the Atletico Madrid side in his debut season. He managed 32 La Liga appearances, scoring three goals and registering as many assists, but Conor Gallagher would have been frustrated for failing to cement his spot in the first XI under Diego Simeone. Therefore, the central midfielder might be open to leaving the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to play regularly, especially given the World Cup is happening next year.
Spurs eyeing Conor Gallagher as an alternative to Gibbs-White
Now, according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, Tottenham are planning a fresh move for Gallagher after missing out on Gibbs-White.
However, Atletico Madrid are expected to drive a hard bargain as manager Diego Simeone will be hesitant to let the midfielder leave, particularly after Rodrigo De Paul’s move to Inter Miami. The La Liga side are likely to demand at least £40m to let Gallagher leave after one season.
Furthermore, Football Insider senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Spurs will have to pay over the odds to land the England international, particularly after seeing a £60m bid for Gibbs-White not come to fruition.
“Tottenham have a long-term interest in Conor Gallagher – they tried to sign him before he made that move to Atletico Madrid”, Pete O’Rourke said on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.
“It could be a smart move by Tottenham if they are looking to bring in a new midfielder, having missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White. He’s on a long-term contract, and if Atletico were to let him go, they’ll be looking to recoup a lot of the transfer fee they paid to Chelsea – it would be around £40million at least.
“Also, with Rodrigo De Paul having left Atletico Madrid, would Simeone be willing to let Gallagher go as well? I’ve got my doubts on that one. It’s a difficult deal to do, a lot will depend on Conor Gallagher. Does he fancy a return to the Premier League?
“It’s a deal that looks difficult to do for me, but I’m not surprised that Tottenham are looking at him to bolster that midfield.”
Gallagher and Gibbs-White are not similar profiles, but if Frank wants to add more steel, dynamism and running power in midfield than and an outright creative presence, the Atletico man could be exactly what he needs this summer. Along with the potential acquisition of Joao Palhinha, Gallagher would add much-needed graft and power to the Tottenham midfield that got easily bypassed multiple times last season.
That being said, if the price quoted by Atletico is ideal, it will be interesting to see whether our club chiefs can persuade the former Chelsea star to move to N17 this summer.
